Automatic molding plant with vertically spaced conveying paths

ABSTRACT

An automatic molding plant and operational method having a plurality of traverse carts or bogies to convey box molds. The molds are transferred from a sidetrack at a loading station and are ready for casting, then to a casting station or train and from there to an unloading station by way of a cooling track comprising at least two conveying paths positioned in different horizontal planes. Liftable and/or lowerable end sections are provided at the ends of the conveying paths, and the sidetrack is connected with one conveying path through the loading and unloading stations. Transferable weighting members are placed in the box molds in front of the casting station and are conveyed from the unloading station to the loading station on the traverse carts. After part of the cooling track has been traversed, the mold packs are separated from the box molds, and the box molds are returned to the molding machine while the mold pack traverses the remainder of the cooling track in an undamaged manner.

United States Patent Becke AUTOMATIC MOLDING PLANT WITH VERTICALLYSPACED CONVEYING PATHS [72] Inventor: Friedrich B. Becke, Wolfansweier,

Germany [73] Assignee: Badische Maschinenfabrik GmbH,

Postfach, Karlsruhe, Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 11, 1970 [21] Appl. No.:97,123

[51] Int. Cl. ..B22d 47/02 [58] Field of Search ...l64/l8, 130, 323,324; 198/19 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Burnett..164/324 X Taccone 164/347 X [57] ABSTRACT An automatic molding plantand operational method having a plurality of traverse carts or bogies toconvey box molds. The molds are transferred from a sidetrack at aloading station and are ready for casting, then to a casting station ortrain and from there to an unloading station by way of a cooling trackcomprising at least two conveying paths positioned in differenthorizontal planes. Liftable and/or lowerable end sections are providedat the ends of the conveying paths, and the sidetrack is connected withone conveying path through the loading and unloading stations.Transferable weighting members are placed in the box molds in front ofthe casting station and are conveyed from the unloading station to theloading station on the traverse carts. After part of the cooling trackhas been traversed, the mold packs are separated from the box molds, andthe box molds are returned to the molding machine while the mold packtraverses the remainder of the cooling track in an undamaged manner.

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AUTOMATIC MOLDING PLANT WITH VERTICALLY SPACED CONVEYING PATHSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to anautomatic molding plant wherein a plurality of traverse bogies or cartsconveys the molds, which were transferred from a sidetrack at a loadingstation and are ready for casting, to the casting station and from thereto the unloading station by way of a cooling train or track.Transposable weighting elements are placed on the molds in front of thecasting station and are conveyed fromthe unloading station to theloading station on the traverse bogies. After part of the cooling trainhas been traversed, the mold boxes are separated from the sand pack,whereupon the boxes return to the molding machine, while the undamagedsand pack traverses the second part of the cooling train. The expressionmold pack used in the following description means the sand and castingon a pack without a box.

Modern molding processes should have low space requirements with respectto the basic area necessary and should be readily adaptable to variouscooling periods of different castings. They also should make do with assmall a number of boxes or foundry flasks as possible. A conventionalmolding plant is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,482, whereintwo rows of box molds are conveyed side-by-side on a horizontal railconveyor guided in one plane, the closing and emptying of the box moldstaking place at certain locations of the loop sections and the box moldstraverse the path twice by transposition.

Also, traverse tracks are known wherein the traverses are loaded withmolds at the molding station, with the weighting being eflected at thecasting station. Then, the conveying of the molds through the coolingpath until the emptying step is conducted in only one plane, whereas thereturn of the empty traverse carts,

which are unused for the cooling of the molds, is effected in a secondplane and mostly underneath the cooling train.

In case of long cooling periods, the plants known heretofore with railconveyor result in a very large space requirement, due to the largeradii of curvature of the rail tracks. Furthermore, many boxes arerequired because the boxes must pass through the entire cooling path.Also traverse bogies or carriages have large space requirements, sincethe cooling of the molds takes place only in one plane.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention toovercome the problems and disadvantages encountered in the conventionalmolding plants.

The present invention has an object, among others, of providing anautomatic molding plant which has a low requirement of basic area andofiers an adaptation to various cooling periods. Besides, as few boxesas tioned in difierent horizontal planes and covered with molds areprovided in a superimposed relationship. Liftable and/or lowerable endsections are provided at the ends of these conveying paths, and thesidetrack is connected with a conveying track through the unloadingstation and through the loading station.

The traverse bogies are provided with at least two deposit points, andat least one free storage place or area being provided for receiving themold. At least one further storage place within a U shaped trough isprovided for receiving the ejected mold packs and for transporting theweighting elements. At two places, a device is arranged for transposingthe weighting elements between the mold and the Ushaped trough of thetraverse bogie, and the molds and mold packs conveyed on the traversebogies determine vertical and parallel planes of circulation, betweenwhich the mold packs ejected from the box molds are transferred. Such asimple construction in accordance with the present invention also has,in addition to the sidetrack with the separator, the molding machine andthe manipulator, a traverse track for the weighting, pouring, andcooling of the molds extending in several horizontally superimposed railplanes. Since at least two deposit points are provided on the individualtraverse trains, the mold packs are placed into the various verticallyparalleldisposed track planes by transferring the same.

Starting with the basic concept of the present invention, variousindividual construction features result. For the design with a pivotaltransfer or conveying device, the unloading station can be constructedwith a triple traverser carriage disposed displaceable above theconveying path, in such a manner that a mold pack pusher, a weightingelement transposer and a box mold transfer member are provided therein.A suitable design of the weighting element transposer can be such that acontrollable clamp is provided in the movable triple traverser carriageand engages in a fitting carrying section or profile of the weightingelement.

It is also possible to provide different solutions for the individualcomponents other than the ones described herein without departing fromthe general idea of the present invention. For example, it is sug gestedto provide a triple traverser carriage in the unloading station, whichstation is connected with a mold pack transfer means. This mold packtransfer means can be designed in the shape of a swivel chute which canbe pivoted between a receiving position when joined to the charging orejector station and a discharging position in parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the traverse bogies and exhibits a conventionalfeed drive (pivotal transfer means). Since it is desired that the swivelchute be in contact with the U-shaped trough of the traverse bogie astightly as possible, circular-arcshaped fittings are suitably providedbetween the swivel chute and the U-shaped trough of the traverse bogie.

An advantageous feature of the present invention for possible arerequired, even in case of long cooling the unlQading Step, Particularlythe unloading 'g periods, and the castings are to have the possibilityof cooling off uniformly in the undestroyed or undamaged sand pack afterejection from the box. Furthermore, the construction of the plant andthe devices employed therein are simple and safe in operation.

An essential feature of the present invention resides in that at leasttwo conveying paths which are posibox molds, results from anotherdistribution of the individual operations by conducting the unloading ofthe mold packs and the transposion of the weighting elements in onestation, whereas the transfer of the box mold onto the roller train, theejection, and the transfer of the mold pack into the trought of thetraverser carriage are conducted in a further station. A transfer deviceis disposed above the track of the box molds in a displaceable, as wellas liftable and lowerable manner and is provided with gripper armspivotable on both sides of the box mold and firmly grasping the box molddue to the contour thereof. A vertical transfer means for the mold packis realized by providing, above the box mold transfer device, astationary chute adapted to the dimension of the mold pack with anopening in the bottom above the mold pack ejector having the size of themold pack and with a transfer orpushing member adapted to the crosssection of the chute, the operating path of which corresponds tothedistance from the resides in unilaterally discharging, in theunloading station, the mold pack, which is present in a trough on thetraverser carriage, onto a vibration train or track, whereas the boxmold travels on the other side after the transfer of the superimposedweighting element for ejecting the mold pack into the zone of theejector or pusher.

The empty box molds travel in the sidetrack to the molding machine and,afier the molding and the production of the molds ready for casting, tothe feeding or loading station. The weighting element is transposed ontothe U-shaped trough of the traverser carriage at the unloading stationand is conveyed thereby to the loading station. The ejected mold pack ispushed into the U-shaped trough of a traverser carriage'by a moldpacktransfer means, whereby the mold packs are introduced into thedifi'erent, vertically parallel track planes.

In the loading station, the weighting element is transposed from theU-shaped trough onto the mold ready for casting. The traverser carriagestravel along the casting train, in each case laden with weightingelesection or terminal of the first conveying path, and are thereattransposed into a second conveying path lying BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWING These and further features, objects and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent from the followingdescription which shows, for purposes of illustration only, severalembodiments in accordance with the present invention and wherein:

, ments, molds with boxes and mold packs, up to an end FIG. 1 is aschematic plan view of a molding plant with-a pivotal transfer meansaccording to the present invention; v

FIG. 2 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 with'a vertical.

' transfer means;

. FIG. 3 is a front view of a triple traverser carriage;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a vertical transfer means; and FIG. 5 is aview atright'angles to the conveying direction of a traverser carriagewith a trough.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring now to the drawing, theconveying paths within the traverse track are disposed in two verticalplanesXandYandintwohorizontalplanesAandBas shown in Fig. 3. In theembodiment of FIG. 1, a conveying path 1 is illustrated which isconnected with a sidetrack 4 via a loading station 2 and an unloadingstation 3. As seen in FIG. 3, a conveying path 8 with an impact orimpulse drive 6 is disposed in a lower horizontal track plane Bunderneath the conveying path 1 on which traverser carriages 5 orbigies, which are in contactwith each other, are movable with the aid ofan impact or impulse drive 7. Between these conveying paths 1, 8, thetraverser carriages 5 can be vertically by means of lowerable andraisable end sections 9, 10.

The traverse bogies or carriages 5 have on one side seen in FIG. 5. Aweighting element 18 is placed on the box molds 14 on the traverse trackor path 1, 8 andiis carried on the path without box molds betweenstations 2 and 3, by the U-shaped trough 16.

The box molds are poured at the casting train 19. After traversing thecooling path in the plane X X, the box molds pass into the zone of theunloading station 3, as shown in FIG. 1, with triple traverser carriage20 shown in FIG. 3. Numeral 21 denotes a box mold cleaner, and numeral32 a sand pack ejector. In the sidetrack 4, numeral 23' represents aseparator, numeral 24 represents a ,singleor double-molding machine,numeral 77 is a turning means for the drags, and numeral25 is anassembly or finishing means. The box molds are propelled through thesidetrack 4 by the push cylinder 28 with the counter cylinder 29 Thetransportation of the box molds through stations 2 and 3 iscorrespondingly effected by push cylinder 31, '26-, cooperating with thecounter cylinders 30 and 27,

respectively.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a pivotal transfer means 42 is providedbetween the ejection ordischarge station 32 and the traverser carriages5. This pivotal transfer means 42 consists of a swivel chute 39 intowhich can be ejected, one mold pack 17 with the aid of the impact drive22. Thereafter, the swivel chute 39 pivots through a right angle andpushes, with the aid of hoisting drive 45, the pusher 44 can be raisedto such an extent that it moves past the transposed weighting elementduring the return of the triple traverser carriage 20. A second pusherwith hoisting drive 37 is lowered, after the advancement of the carriage20, into the range of the molding boxes and pushes the boxes duringtheir return ride onto the roller conveyor 36. The ejection station 32,according to FIG. 3, operates in such a manner that the mold packremains at its level on the stationary plate or platform 47, whereas thedrive 48 with the yoke 49 strips the box olT in the downward direction.During this procedure, the box remains stationary on the roller conveyorsection 78 which is lowered against the force of the hoisting drive 79.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a mold pack is pushed onto thevibrating track 38 in a station 33 with a double traverser carriagewhich is provided with the same device as the triple traverser carriagefor transposing the weights and transferring the mold packs. A weightingelement is transposed from the box mold in the conveying plane X toatrough in the conveying plane Y. In the subsequent station 41, which isshown in FIG. 4, the box mold 46 is transferred from the traversercarriage 5 onto the roller conveyor 50, and the trough 51 is lifted bymeans of the gripper 52 with drive 53 to the level of the U-shaped chute54. Upon the lowering thereof, the trough is centered with respect toits position to the traverser carriage by means of pins 55 which fitinto corresponding bores 56. A box mold transfer means 57 has runners orsmall rollers S8 traveling in rails 59 on both sides of the U- shapedchute 54. By means of the drive 60 via rod 61 and lever 62, the transfermeans can be lifted with cranks 63 in order to be able to freelytransfer especially heavy box molds. Inthis connection, the box moldsare seized at the trunnions or pins 65 by the gripper arms 66 pivotableby means of the drive 67. The forward movement of all box molds on theroller conveyor 50 and in the gripper 66 is effected by the drive 64.

At the ejection point 32, the mold pack is ejected from the box 81 bythe butt plate 68 by means of the drive 69 in the upward directionthrough the box holder 70 and the bottom opening 71 into the U-shapedchute 54. Then, the mold pack is transferred by the butt plate 71attached to the carriage 73, with the aid of the rack and pinion drive74 and the motor 75, through the U-shaped chute 54 into the trough 51which had been raised to the same level. The empty boxes 76 then returnto the molding machine 24 by way of the sidetrack 4.

The chutes 39, 54 as well as the troughs 16 are adapted to the breadthof the molding sand pack 17 with respect to their breadth, whereas theweighting element 18 is adapted, to the width of the trough 16 withrespect to its length as shown in FIG. 5.

The mode of operation of the automatic molding plant will now beexplained hereinbelow with reference to a plant as shown in FIGS. 1 and3. The starting point is a traverser carriage 5 present in the unloadingstation 3 wherein, on the deposit point within the U-shaped trough 16, amold pack 17 is disposed, while on the 60 storage place 11 there isinitially deposited a poured mold 14 composed of a cope l2 and a drag 13with a weighting element 18 placed thereon. With the aid of the tripletraverser carriage 20, the weighting element 18 is first gripped by theclamping device 35 and lifted with the aid of a hoisting device 43,while a pack pusher 44 is placed into its lowermost position by itsassociated lifting device 45. The box pusher or ejector 80 is in itsupper position. At this point, the triple traverser carriage 20 is firstmoved to the right. During this step, the mold pack 17 is pushed out ofthe U-shaped trough 16 5 toward the vibrating train 38, and theweighting ele- 1 5 Thus, a new mold 14 passes into the zone of theejector drive 48, which releases the mold packs 17 by pressing the boxdownwardly on the roller conveyor 78 via the yoke 49 against the holdingforce of the drive 79. The mold pack comes to a standstill on the fixed20 plate 47 and is moved by the pusher 22 toward the pivotal transfermeans 39. The presently empty boxes travel into the box cleaning device21, then are separated in the separator 23, and fed to the moldingmachine 24 which molds the copes and drags. Only the 25 drags are turnedin the turning unit 77, and then the cores are inserted. In the closingor finisher device 25, the finished molds are then produced which aredeposited in the loading station 2 by the drive 26 onto the depositingpoint 11 of a traverser carriage. The weighting element 18 positioned ona trough 16 in the unloading station 3 is placed on the box mold on thestorage point 11 by means of similar devices shown in FIG. 3.Thereafter, the molds 14 travel through the casting train 19 for thecasting operation. At the end of the conveying path in plane A, thetraverser carriages 5 are lowered at station 9 to the conveying path inplane B and, at the end thereof, are again lifted at station 10, to theconveying path in plane A. The traverser carriage 5 leaves the unloadingstation 3 with empty depositing points 11, 15 with the weighting element18 being placed on the U-shaped trough 16. Now, the empty traversercarriage 5 arrives in the zone of the pivotal transfer means 39 whichhas received the mold pack 17 from the ejector 32 and pushes the packinto the U-shaped trough 16 of the traverser carriage 5 at position 34.Thereafter, the traverser carriage 5 travels with unoccupied depositingpoints 11 along the conveying path of planes XA to the loading station2. On

this conveying path, the mold packs 17 are disposed in FIG. 3. In caselonger cooling periods are prescribed,

the troughs 16 and traverser carriages 5 can be lengthened for receivingtwo or more mold packs. By the fact that the width of the chutes 39, 54and the troughs 16 is adapted to the dimensions of the mold packs, themold packs cannot disintegrate, and. the casting remain covered withsand along the entire conveying path and cool off uniformly.

While I have shown and described several embodi- 5 ments in accordancewith the present invention, it is to be clearly understood that the sameis susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as will be apparentto one skilled in the art. 1, therefore, do not wish chute and theU-shaped trough to be limited to the details shown and described herein,

tion.

I claim: 1. Automatic molding plant including mold boxes; a sidetrackwith means for forming molds in said boxes; traverse carriage meansforconveying the box molds, which are ready to be cast and transferredfrom the sidetrack, to a casting train by way of a loading station andfrom there to an unloading station by way of a cooling path;transferable weighting means adapted to be placed on the molds beforethe casting train; the cooling path including at least two conveyingpaths arranged one above the other in horizontal planes for the traversecarriage means conveying the box molds; end

sections provided at the ends of the conveying paths adapted to beraised and/or lowered to vertically transpose said traverse carriagemeans between said paths;

, the sidetrack connected with one of the conveying paths by means ofthe loading and unloading stations;

I and the traverse carriage means including at least two depositingsections, wherein at least one depositing section is adapted to receivethe box mold and at least one other depositing. section includes aU-shaped trough mounted to receive ejected mold packs and conveys theweighting means.

2. Automatic molding plant according to claim 1, wherein means fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtrough are located at theloading and unloading stations, andithe boxmolds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage means definevertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejected moldpacks are transferred.

3. Automatic molding plant according to claim 1, wherein a tripletraverse carriage means is provided at the unloading station, and a moldpack transfer means is connected with the triple traverse carriagemeans.

4. Automatic molding plant according to claim 3, wherein means fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtrough are located at the loading and unloading stations, and the boxmolds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage means definevertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejected moldpacks are transferred.

5. Automatic molding plant according to claim 3, wherein the mold packtransfer means is a pivotal transfer means having a swivel chutepivotable between a receiving position at the connection to an ejectionstation for ejecting the mold pack and a discharge position where theswivel chute is operatively associated with the U-shaped trough, and themold pack transfer means having a discharge drive. i I 6. Automaticmolding plant according to claim 5, wherein means for transferring theweighting means between the mold and the U-shaped trough are located atthe loading and unloading stations, and the box molds andimold packsconveyed on the traverse car- 1 riage means define vertically parallelconveying planes,

between which the ejected mold packs are transferred. I 7. Automaticmolding plant according to claim 6, wherein the lateral and bottomportions of the swivel are adapted in the manner of a circular arc. 1

riage means define vertically parallel conveying planes,

between which the ejected mold packs are transferred.

10. Automatic molding plant according to claim 9,

wherein the mold pack transfer means is a pivotal transfer means havinga swivel chute pivotable between,

a receiving position at the connection to an ejection station forejecting the mold pack and a discharge positionwhere the swivel chute isoperatively associated with the U-shaped trough, and the mold meanshaving a discharge drive.

11. Automatic molding plant according to claim 8, wherein the means fortransferring the weighting means includes a selectively controllableclamping device engaging into a corresponding carrying contour of theweighting means; 1

12. Automatic molding plant according to claim 1, wherein said unloadingstation includes a first station provided for unloading of the ejectedmold packs and transfer of the weighting means, and a second stationprovided for transpcsing the box molds onto a roller conveyor and theejection and transfer of the mold packs into the U-shaped troughs of thetraverse car riage means.

13. Automatic molding plant according to claim 12, wherein meam'fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtroughare located at the loading and unloading stations, and the box molds andmold packs conveyed on the traverse car-' riage means define verticallyparallel conveying planes, between which theejected mold packs aretransferred.

14. Automatic molding plant according to claim 12', wherein box moldtransfer means is located above the conveying path of the box molds inthe second station so as to be displaceable, raisable and lowerable.

15. Automatic molding plant according to claim 14, wherein the box moldtransfer means includes gripper arms pivotable on both sides of the boxmold and fittingly grasping the box mold.

16. Automatic molding plant according to claim 15, wherein means fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtrough are located at the loading and unloading stations, and the boxmolds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carmold transfer means andhas dimensions corresponding to the mold pack dimensions, an openingcorresponding to the size of the mold pack being provided in the bottomof the stationary chute above a mold pack ejector means, and pushermeans corresponding to the cross-section of the stationary chute andhaving a travelling path which corresponds to the distance from transferthe mold pack ejector means to the plane of one of the conveying paths.

18. Automatic molding plant according to claim 17, wherein means fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtrough are located at the loading and unloading stations, and the boxmolds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage means definevertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejected moldpacks are transferred.

19. Automatic molding plant according to claim 1, wherein the U-shapedtroughs have means for allowing the same to be lifted ofi upwardly andmeans for centering the same in the horizontal position when placed onthe traverse carriage means.

20. Automatic molding plant according to claim 19, wherein a firststation provided for unloading of the ejected mold packs and transfer ofthe weighting means, and a second station provided for transposing thebox molds onto a roller conveyor and the ejection and transfer of themold packs into the U-shaped troughs of the traverse carriage means.

21. Automatic molding plant according to claim 20, wherein box moldtransfer means is located above the conveying path of the box molds inthe second station so as to be displaceable, raisable and lowerable.

22. Automatic molding plant according to claim 21, wherein the box moldtransfer means includes gripper arms pivotable on both sides of andfittingly grasping the box.

23. Automatic molding plant according to claim 22, wherein means fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtrough are located at the loading and unloading stations, and the boxmolds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage means definevertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejected moldpacks are transferred.

24. Automatic molding plant according to claim 21, wherein a stationarychute is provided above the box mold transfer means and has dimensionscorresponding to the mold pack dimensions, an opening corresponding tothe size of the mold pack being provided in the bottom of the stationarychute above a mold pack ejector means, and pusher means corresponding tothe cross-section of the stationary chute and having a travelling pathwhich corresponds to the distance from the mold pack ejector means tothe plane of one of the conveying paths.

1. Automatic molding plant including mold boxes; a sidetrack with meansfor forming molds in said boxes; traverse carriage means for conveyingthe box molds, which are ready to be cast and transferred from thesidetrack, to a casting train by way of a loading station and from thereto an unloading station by way of a cooling path; transferable weightingmeans adapted to be placed on the molds before the casting train; thecooling path including at least two conveying paths arranged one abovethe other in horizontal planes for the traverse carriage means conveyingthe box molds; end sections provided at the ends of the conveying pathsadapted to be raised and/or lowered to vertically transpose saidtraverse carriage means between said paths; the sidetrack connected withone of the conveying paths by means of the loading and unloadingstations; and the traverse carriage means including at least twodepositing sections, wherein at least one depositing section is adaptedto receive the box mold and at least one other depositing sectionincludes a U-shaped trough mounted to receive ejected mold packs andconveys the weighting means.
 2. Automatic molding plant according toclaim 1, wherein means for transferring the weighting means between themold and the U-shaped trough are located at the loading and unloadingstations, and the box molds and mold packs conveyed on the traversecarriage means define vertically parallel conveying planes, betweenwhich the ejected mold packs are transferred.
 3. Automatic molding plantaccording to claim 1, wherein a triple traverse carriage means isprovided at the unloading station, and a mold pack transfer means isconnected with the triple traverse carriage means.
 4. Automatic moldingplant according to claim 3, wherein means for transferring the weightingmeans between the mold and the U-shaped trough are located at theloading and unloading stations, and the box molds and mold packsconveyed on the traverse carriage means define vertically parallelconveying planes, between which the ejected mold packs are transferred.5. Automatic molding plant according to claim 3, wherein the mold packtransfeR means is a pivotal transfer means having a swivel chutepivotable between a receiving position at the connection to an ejectionstation for ejecting the mold pack and a discharge position where theswivel chute is operatively associated with the U-shaped trough, and themold pack transfer means having a discharge drive.
 6. Automatic moldingplant according to claim 5, wherein means for transferring the weightingmeans between the mold and the U-shaped trough are located at theloading and unloading stations, and the box molds and mold packsconveyed on the traverse carriage means define vertically parallelconveying planes, between which the ejected mold packs are transferred.7. Automatic molding plant according to claim 6, wherein the lateral andbottom portions of the swivel chute and the U-shaped trough are adaptedin the manner of a circular arc.
 8. Automatic molding plant according toclaim 3, wherein the triple traverse carriage means is displaceablelocated above one of the conveying paths, and the unloading stationincludes mold pack pusher means, means for transversing the weightingmeans, and box mold transfer means.
 9. Automatic molding plant accordingto claim 8, wherein means for transferring the weighting means betweenthe mold and the U-shaped trough are located at the loading andunloading stations, and the box molds and mold packs conveyed on thetraverse carriage means define vertically parallel conveying planes,between which the ejected mold packs are transferred.
 10. Automaticmolding plant according to claim 9, wherein the mold pack transfer meansis a pivotal transfer means having a swivel chute pivotable between areceiving position at the connection to an ejection station for ejectingthe mold pack and a discharge position where the swivel chute isoperatively associated with the U-shaped trough, and the mold packtransfer means having a discharge drive.
 11. Automatic molding plantaccording to claim 8, wherein the means for transferring the weightingmeans includes a selectively controllable clamping device engaging intoa corresponding carrying contour of the weighting means.
 12. Automaticmolding plant according to claim 1, wherein said unloading stationincludes a first station provided for unloading of the ejected moldpacks and transfer of the weighting means, and a second station providedfor transposing the box molds onto a roller conveyor and the ejectionand transfer of the mold packs into the U-shaped troughs of the traversecarriage means.
 13. Automatic molding plant according to claim 12,wherein means for transferring the weighting means between the mold andthe U-shaped trough are located at the loading and unloading stations,and the box molds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage meansdefine vertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejectedmold packs are transferred.
 14. Automatic molding plant according toclaim 12, wherein box mold transfer means is located above the conveyingpath of the box molds in the second station so as to be displaceable,raisable and lowerable.
 15. Automatic molding plant according to claim14, wherein the box mold transfer means includes gripper arms pivotableon both sides of the box mold and fittingly grasping the box mold. 16.Automatic molding plant according to claim 15, wherein means fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtrough are located at the loading and unloading stations, and the boxmolds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage means definevertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejected moldpacks are transferred.
 17. Automatic molding plant according to claim14, wherein a stationary chute is provided above the box mold transfermeans and has dimensions corresponding to the mold pack dimensions, anopening corresponding to the size of the mold pack being provided in thebottom of the stationary chute above a mold pack ejector means, andpusher means correspondiNg to the cross-section of the stationary chuteand having a travelling path which corresponds to the distance from themold pack ejector means to the plane of one of the conveying paths. 18.Automatic molding plant according to claim 17, wherein means fortransferring the weighting means between the mold and the U-shapedtrough are located at the loading and unloading stations, and the boxmolds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage means definevertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejected moldpacks are transferred.
 19. Automatic molding plant according to claim 1,wherein the U-shaped troughs have means for allowing the same to belifted off upwardly and means for centering the same in the horizontalposition when placed on the traverse carriage means.
 20. Automaticmolding plant according to claim 19, wherein a first station providedfor unloading of the ejected mold packs and transfer of the weightingmeans, and a second station provided for transposing the box molds ontoa roller conveyor and the ejection and transfer of the mold packs intothe U-shaped troughs of the traverse carriage means.
 21. Automaticmolding plant according to claim 20, wherein box mold transfer means islocated above the conveying path of the box molds in the second stationso as to be displaceable, raisable and lowerable.
 22. Automatic moldingplant according to claim 21, wherein the box mold transfer meansincludes gripper arms pivotable on both sides of and fittingly graspingthe box.
 23. Automatic molding plant according to claim 22, whereinmeans for transferring the weighting means between the mold and theU-shaped trough are located at the loading and unloading stations, andthe box molds and mold packs conveyed on the traverse carriage meansdefine vertically parallel conveying planes, between which the ejectedmold packs are transferred.
 24. Automatic molding plant according toclaim 21, wherein a stationary chute is provided above the box moldtransfer means and has dimensions corresponding to the mold packdimensions, an opening corresponding to the size of the mold pack beingprovided in the bottom of the stationary chute above a mold pack ejectormeans, and pusher means corresponding to the cross-section of thestationary chute and having a travelling path which corresponds to thedistance from the mold pack ejector means to the plane of one of theconveying paths.